Author Archives: Stephen Isaacson

I don’t always make New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes the resolutions made on January 1st have dissolved by January 31st. This New Year’s Day, however, I want to return to Benedict’s injunction in his Rule for Monasteries.  Many authors have pointed out that Benedict’s first bit of instruction in the Rule is to listen: “Listen carefully, my child, toContinue reading “A New Year’s Resolution”

Advent is a time of expectation, anticipation, and waiting. What should we do while waiting? Here is a podcast I made last year during Advent.

From The Rule of St. Benedict: “Monastics ought to be zealous for silence at all times, but especially during the hours of the night” (RSB 42:1). Benedict goes on to say that upon leaving Compline, the last service of the day right before bedtime, no one should speak. Absolute silence is required.  From Praying with Saint Benedict:Continue reading “On Silence”

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,and no torment will ever touch them.In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,and their departure was thought to be a disasterand their going from us to be their destruction,but they are at peace.      (Wisdom 3:1-3) Last week was the week theContinue reading “Saints and Souls”

Nov. 1, 2023 In our upcoming Wednesday evening’s class on Benedictine practice for lay people (“The World IS Your Cloister”), Elaine Harris asked Ron, one of our Cornerstone members, to talk about the Divine Office and asked me to pick a selection or two from Praying with Saint Benedict on the Divine Office to share with ourContinue reading “Reflections on Liturgical Prayer”

Day 1 If I’ve counted correctly, this is my sixth visit to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, a Benedictine community in northern New Mexico. I really needed this trip. On the Mary and Martha scale, I’ve felt like I’ve gone too far down the Martha path in the last year and I needContinue reading “Desert Diary, October 2022”